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Navigating the Social Seas 

Why we are here today• What is Content Strategy

• Social Media Techniques• Talk “with” not

only “at” your audience• Be authentic

Add value

• University of Arkansas SM

Justify My Existence

• Christopher Spencer, 15 years in the communication game: Print, online, analytics• Former newspaper reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (1999 – 2004), Morning News of Northwest Arkansas (2005 – 2009), El Dorado News Times (1998 – 1999)• Founded Ozarks Unbound (2009 – 2011) and WordCamp Fayetteville (Fourth year in July 2013)• Work currently as a digital media strategist for the University of Arkansas (2011+). Taught digital journalism class last semester

What is Content Strategy?

How to Get Your Work Read

What is Content Strategy?

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What is Content Strategy?• Know your message

– Does what I say contribute value to the conversation?

• Know your audience– What does my audience want?

• Know your channel– Is this the right channel for your message?

• Know your success– Measure your performance and monetize it.

Know your channel

Source: Social Barrel

Know your channel

Source: Social Barrel

Know your channel

Source: Social Barrel

Know your channel

Source: Social Barrel

Know your channel

Know your channel (Shorthand version)

• Facebook: The new Yellow Pages for businesses• Twitter: The place for quick-hit engagement• Instagram: Feeds Facebook and Twitter with visuals• LinkedIn: For your professional set• Reddit: A community that rewards thoughtful discussion• Pinterest: A place to show images

Know your success

• Choose a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and set goals based on it– I’ll have a 200 followers on Twitter in two months; I’ll generate 1000 like in three months

• Look at types of data available and begin to create a strategy from that data– Facebook has insights, websites have Google Analytics. All sites have some statistics

• Determine the monetary value of your activity– What’s a conversion for you? Aka, what’s meeting your goal.

Add value to the conversationSay the right thing• … to the right people• … in the right place• … and read their reaction